2014 Broncos Preview: Defense

Ted BartlettSep 3, 2014 2:00 PM

Happy Wednesday, friends. Yesterday, we covered the offense in detail. Anybody who has been a Broncos fan the last couple of years knows that the offense has been the primary reason for us to be so optimistic.

Honestly, it will continue to be so in 2014. Any team that has Peyton Manning will always be offense-dominant.

However, this Broncos team has a chance to sport both a top-five offense and defense.

The 2012 Broncos were that, but their secondary failed them at key times, like in the playoff loss to the Ravens. There was always something that didn’t feel dominant about that 2012 defense, and I view this 2014 edition as being one that’s staffed to win a lot of battles convincingly.

Let's go through the position groups, and look at why the Broncos have a chance to be so good.

Defensive Line

Everybody says that the Rams have the best and deepest defensive line in the NFL, but I think the Broncos can give them a run for their money. In all my life as a Broncos fan, going back more than 25 years, I’ve never seen them have this much talent on the defensive front.

If you ask Pro Football Focus, Derek Wolfe is a replacement-level player. If you ask Jeff Legwold, who I suspect resents being clowned for never having heard of Wolfe when he was drafted 36th in 2012, he’s utterly downplayable, and not worthy of much mention.

When the Broncos had a top-five defense in 2012, though, the main reason was that their ability to play eight gaps with seven men allowed them to be very sound in pass coverage even when they started out playing the run. To accomplish that, at least one defender needs to two-gap, and the one who did it the most and the best was Wolfe.

Wolfe is unique among the Broncos’ defensive linemen in that he has the size and power to play that role. When he couldn’t play last season, Malik Jackson replaced him, and the Broncos’ whole approach had to change.

Suddenly, there were eight-man boxes and more vulnerability against the pass. I'm not suggesting that Wolfe was a bigger loss than Von Miller, but Wolfe's loss forced the Broncos to change their scheme to something less sound; Miller's didn't.

Wolfe is also a good interior pass rusher, although I thought he tried to do too much speed-rushing from the edge last season. That may have been because he lost so much weight, but whatever the case, it’s not Wolfe’s strong suit.

Terrance Knighton had an excellent first season in Denver, and he seemed to respond very well to being in a winning environment for the first time since high school. Knighton plays the nose sometimes, and other times, he’ll play opposite a guard. For a 330-pound guy, you can see the quick feet that allowed him to play wide receiver in high school.

Sylvester Williams did a good job toward the end of his rookie season in 2013. He was one of the 10 or 12 best talents in his draft class, but his age (24 at draft time) and a run on offensive linemen made him available to the lucky Broncos at #28. Williams has excellent power and a quick first step.

I expect him to make a major step in 2014, after having a full NFL offseason program behind him. Like Knighton, Williams is position-indifferent between the nose and undertackle positions.

DeMarcus Ware was the premier name in the free agent class for the Broncos, and he says he’s healthy and ready to play like he’s been accustomed to. Ware is 32, and he’s had an excellent career.

In his limited preseason action, he looked like he’s ready to play well. Expect the Broncos to vary him between standing up and playing with his hand on the ground, but I’m pretty sure they’ll have him going forward 90-95% of the time.

Malik Jackson is a very good player; Legwold isn’t wrong about that. He’s best used as an interior pass rusher for 20 or 25 snaps. Jackson had a disjointed college career, split between USC and Tennessee, and he’s come into his own after joining the Broncos.

He’s tall like Wolfe, but leaner in the lower body, and he plays with less leverage. He’s extremely quick for an interior rusher, though, and he has a good feel for countering the body leverage of blockers.

Marvin Austin finally showed the talent that TJ and I expected to see when he was a draft prospect. We were both rooting for the Broncos to grab him instead of Rahim Moore and Orlando Franklin.

Now, after three injury-plagued seasons (for three teams) where he accomplished little, Austin looks like he’s ready to kick some ass. I expect him to be the first DT off the bench, and to play a lot in rotation. He’s more of an undertackle than a nose.

Mitch Unrein is a solid pro as a DT, and he’s played some significant snaps for the Broncos. He’s an example of a guy who has gotten better each year, and he’s a credit to the organization as a player who came up from the practice squad after going undrafted.

He’s played a total of about 1,000 snaps in three seasons. He did get some work as a closed-side DE in the preseason this year, and he’s also played some fullback. I suspect that his versatility is what got him the nod over Kevin Vickerson.

Quanterus Smith is a second-year player who spent his rookie year on IR. The Broncos bought low on him as a fifth-round pick, because he was coming off a late season torn ACL as a college senior.

This is still the guy who beat Alabama for three sacks, and he flashed some good natural quickness and pass rush instincts in the preseason. I expect him to have a fairly narrow role as Ware’s backup, but I think the future is bright for him.

Linebacker

It all starts with Von Miller, who I believe to be the best defensive player in the NFL when he’s healthy. Nobody can match the quickness of his first step, or his ability to dip and rip, and get after the QB from a body position inches off the ground.

What makes him the best all-around defender, though, is his ability to control the edge in the running game. His instincts are outstanding, and his ability to convert speed to power is without equal in the NFL. With Ware around to mentor Miller, I expect him to have his best season yet in 2014.

In the middle will be Nate Irving. A lot of people seem spooked by that, but I am not one of them. Irving hasn’t ever gotten a full shot to play the Mike, which is his natural position, because the team has felt a strong need to have him as the backup Sam. (For some inexplicable reason.)

Irving is a downhill thumper who is longer on power than range, but he has good instincts that help him find the football. Coverage isn’t really Irving’s best area, but he’s not an automatic loss in that area like Joe Mays was.

The weakside linebacker, once he gets back from his injury, will be Danny Trevathan. He was a good special teamer has a rookie, and grew into being a good starting Will as a sophomore. I expect that he’ll provide more strong play once he gets healthy.

I was a fan of the signing of Lerentee McCray after the 2013 Draft, and he has showed well in two preseasons now. The Broncos did well to stash him on IR for his rookie season.

Now, he’ll play the role of backup Sam linebacker, which the Broncos seem to view as “all-important.” (Sportswriter cliché alert.) McCray is fast and strong, and he can be a good contributor on special teams right now.

Rookie Lamin Barrow may end up being the backup Mike, to the extent that one is needed, and he will probably have to win his snaps on special teams as a rookie. I liked his instincts in the preseason, and I can see him being a faster but less powerful facsimile of Irving in 2015.

Winning teams need to replace guys coming off their rookie contracts with other guys on rookie contracts, and the drafting of Barrow seemed to be to that end.

Brandon Marshall did a good job replacing Trevathan for the starter snaps against Houston. TJ and I were both impressed with his instincts and his quickness to the ball.

Of course, it was a small sample size, but I don’t think that the Broncos need to be too worried about how Marshall will hold up for the first few games of the season.

I was surprised to see Corey Nelson make the 53-man roster, because I didn’t see a whole lot out of him in the preseason. He played 112 snaps on defense, and never really distinguished himself much. I wonder if keeping Nelson isn’t a play at doubling up on replacing Irving in 2015.

Steven Johnson is an overachiever type (alert the football writing police – I called a black dude an overachiever!). I think that he’s competing to be a gameday active with Barrow and Nelson based on what he can do in the kicking game.

You don’t really need to bring three MLBs to gameday, you know? The Mike only plays about 50% of the defensive snaps anyway.

Cornerbacks

Aqib Talib signed for fairly big dollars as a replacement for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Talib is slightly less adept as a natural cover man than DRC was, but he’s much more active and tough in the run game.

What I like best about Talib is that, unlike DRC, he’s equally skilled at both man and zone coverage. That makes him a Jack Del Rio kind of guy, because it enables the full range of schematic options.

Chris Harris will be the other primary cornerback in what will probably be his last season in Denver. (The only way I can see him being back is if the Broncos choose him over Talib.) Harris is at his best in the slot, which is the most difficult job in the secondary, since receivers tend to have a two-way go.

Reports are that Harris is recovering well from his late-season ACL tear, but his first regular season snap will be his first since the tear. He may be rusty early.

Bradley Roby was almost certainly drafted to replace Harris, and he really impressed me in the preseason. He shows every ability to be a big-time corner in the NFL, from size, to speed, to strength, to fluidity, to mental toughness. I saw Roby at his worst in college, getting worked by Wisconsin’s Jared Abbrederis, but the Broncos might have a future star if they can harness his full range of talents.

Kayvon Webster looks greatly improved from his rookie year, when he did a pretty solid job. He has good size and he moves well, and I think he can hold up very well as a fourth cornerback. He came from more of a zone scheme at South Florida, and seemed to take better and better to man coverage as his rookie season progressed.

Omar Bolden showed a lot of improvement in the preseason too. I like the fact that he mainly worked as a safety last season, because it provides position versatility in a pinch. He is also a pretty good kickoff returner, for what that’s worth playing half your games in Denver.

Tony Carter is pretty up-and-down, and I think he belongs in a glass case marked “break only in case of emergency.” He’s better than most teams’ sixth cornerbacks, if most teams even keep six of them.

Safeties

Rahim Moore is one of the big keys to this defense. He played well in his second and third seasons, but he’s never quite put it together to be the ballhawk that the Broncos could really use in centerfield. I think Moore is the most talented deep middle guy the team has had since Steve Atwater, and I hope he’s ready to put it all together in his contract year.

I said a bunch of nice stuff about T.J. Ward recently, so obviously I think he’s going to play a big role this season. The Broncos only used him a little bit as a nickel linebacker in the preseason, but he only played 67 snaps, so I don’t read too much into that.

David Bruton is a special teams ace, and he was recently named the captain of those units for the second year in a row. He has excellent size and speed, but he’s a very linear mover, and if you need to play him much on defense, it’s not a great thing.

Quinton Carter is a bit of an unknown to me. I didn’t see a great deal out of him in the preseason, over the course of 93 snaps, but I think that his experience as a free safety as a rookie probably got him the job over Duke Ihenacho.

This has been so much fun, I might do something short about special teams tomorrow, to go along with my AFC preview. We’ll see how it goes after my trip to Salinas and other parts of California, and how I feel after four takeoffs and landings in a little nine-seat private plane.

1. I’m not in the arguing business, I’m in the saying what I think business.
2. I get my information from my eyes.

TJ offers an instant analysis of the Broncos' 30-10 loss to the Seahawks in their second game of the preseason

We will not be replacing the entre I line during the season if one player goes down I do think our depth is on par with a good team

If we need a replacement it may not be Super Bowl winnig quality (Chris clark) but we will replace them fine

Posted by GreasyQtip on 2014-09-04 18:59:59

There are quite a few question marks in my mind, particularly guys coming back from injuries (Clady and Welker on offense, Wolfe, Miller, Ware, Austin, Trevathan, Harris and Moore on defense). If these guys all come back at 100%, then I'd agree that there aren't any obvious weaknesses on the roster. If several of them don't come back at 100%, we could be in trouble. The more likely scenario is most of them perform as expected but a couple don't, and or injuries hit at other positions. There's no reason not to think that any of them won't return to form, but you never know in the NFL. In that case, we've got young guys with potential that may be able to step up and show that they've got starting talent at most positions on the roster (O line being the notable exception). Overall, I'd say the roster is as solid as any other in the NFL.

Posted by Hercules_Rockefeller on 2014-09-04 11:30:16

Yeah, that is a nice feather in their cap given the truism that an Offense is as good as its best player and a DEF is as bad as its worst (given that generally O's dictate matchups/initiative, so a great individual can beat a bunch of good defenders, or one bad defensive player creates a giant exploitable hole... certainly a simplification as DEF scheme, dominant players like Von, etc. can hide DEF flaws... but something I think is generally true and is why maintaining a dominant DEF is harder year-to-year than a dominant OFF)

Posted by cjfarls on 2014-09-04 10:04:15

Am I missing something? They have 8 LBs with Trevathan still on the roster. They may make a move with the PS, but I, at this point, don't see what it might be. That changes when/if Prater and Welker come back, but I think the moves will involve those positions - i.e. Palmer and McManus, though I suppose I could envision Welker replacing a LB.

Posted by ivanthenotsobad on 2014-09-04 02:44:16

It seems as though we've reached an agreement on the importance of LBs that can cover the pass. I don't think they'll keep 9 LBs upon Trevathan's return, though. Do you think it will be Steven Johnson that gets cut rather than Nelson?

Posted by SterlingMalloryArcher on 2014-09-03 23:56:47

The above is little bit more rosy than I would expect. I don't think you can assum Harris and Von will be even close to pre-ACL perofrmance levels until the second half of the season. Austin is a huge talent, but he has trouble staying on the field. But damn, it's gotta be better than last year, right? I mean, who loses 5 starters on D and still makes the Super Bowl?

Posted by vcbronco on 2014-09-03 21:12:37

Yes, including the quote: "...the Broncos could have the most explosive pass-rushing tandem of all-time."

Posted by VonSwenson on 2014-09-03 19:28:16

... and, rookie kicker.

Posted by VonSwenson on 2014-09-03 19:18:52

I'd caution against undervaluing Nelson. He provides a different kind of versatility than does Barrow. IMO he's the one who replaced Ihenacho and convinced the Broncos to keep only 4 Ss even though they had indicated that Ward could and would be used as a Nickel LB.. Nelson's bigger than Ihenacho, as fast, and better at coverage.I think the Broncos have found the kind of "Nickel" LB they're looking for in Trevathan, Barrow and Nelson. The other kind is the "Edge Rush" like Von & McCray. Irving, Johnson and Barrett are various kinds of blends, also usable.I'm beginning to change my mind about the importance of the LB in the way that JDR is using them. They're also very useful on STs.

Sorry to be nitpicky, but I don't know that I'd use the word "weaknesses" for the things you mention, especially since NorBronco uses the adjective "obvious". Those seem more like "unknowns". Some, or even all of them could turn out to be adequate or even superior.

Posted by Carsonic on 2014-09-03 17:50:32

Wolfe´s continued undervaluing by pundits and supposed experts baffles me greatly. The schematic versatility he brings is something all the DCs in the league emphasize as vital in order to survive the complex no-huddle offenses the NFL showcases these days, so even if you think his stats and performances are just average (which I don´t, for the record; I´d say he´s consistently above-average in that respect, when he´s not plainly good), the role he plays in the D should at the very least bring him up to the non-fungible level in any football connoisseur´s eyes.

Posted by Goéland on 2014-09-03 17:44:36

At that point I think Nelson goes to the PS. The 3rd Mike is Johnson, and for what it´s worth, on the depth chart, right now, he is listed ahead of Barrow (and I agree with you, the latter´s coverage abilities could be special).

Posted by Goéland on 2014-09-03 17:26:53

I´d say very worrying instead of absolutely terrible, but yes, that´s the big one for me, on paper.

Posted by Goéland on 2014-09-03 17:24:44

I agree partially with Steve but would add that Williams and Austin are better at penetration than Vick was. I think the idea is to use them more and to keep the snap count of Wolfe somewhat lower to keep him more refreshed. I agree that Wolfe is probably the best of the DEs at eating space and blockers. I can't wait to see a DL with Knighton, Williams, Wolfe and Ware, and the Von on the edge. Add to that Trevathan, then Ward and Talib in blitz packages and offenses will have a difficult time finding time to pass and no place to run and hide.

Posted by ivanthenotsobad on 2014-09-03 17:19:19

Absolutely terrible Oline depth.

Posted by Ryan Hennigan on 2014-09-03 17:16:15

I think you might be right, but I also think the staff was watching his snap count pretty closely in the preseason as he comes back from what really could have been a career-threatening year of injuries and complications.

Posted by SteveS on 2014-09-03 17:11:28

C'mon, no weaknesses. RB that hasn't started a game in the NFL yet. Unproven MLB at pro level. Brandon Marshall filling in for Trevathan. Welker injured/suspended. Burse at PR.

Posted by Uncle Rico on 2014-09-03 17:09:05

Reading the offensive and defensive evaluation, it doesn't seem like we have any weaknesses at all this year, which seems too good to be true. Do we have any obvious weaknesses and it that case, what are they?

Posted by NorBronco on 2014-09-03 16:44:07

Thanks, Ted. I have two thoughts to the LB breakdown:

1. I think Barrow's ability in coverage (at least at the college level) deserves mention. That, to me, was the biggest reason both he and Nelson were drafted, since Trevathan was really the only LB left over from last year that can cover well; and

2. I think Corey Nelson made the roster due only to Trevathan's injury. I think he's a Will, and I don't see him as a potential replacement for Irving like Barrow could be. When Trevathan returns, the Broncos will have Marshall to ably back him up, and I think it will be Nelson that gets cut.

Posted by SterlingMalloryArcher on 2014-09-03 16:23:24

I could be wrong but I think Wolfe was coming off the field a lot on 3rd downs this pre-season. Anyone?

Posted by Broncologist on 2014-09-03 16:07:19

Your figures for DT and JT are about in line with what I imagined, but I think that Knighton will get a big offer from someone else and take it, especially if the Broncos win the SB with him as the biggest piece of the line. And if Austin and Unrein look decent enough then they'll stick with Sly, Austin, and Unrein, with Wolfe and Jackson possibly rotating into the tackle spots. So I think the Broncos try to make Harris fit in there as well (I guess I also value elite corner play, and am wary of Talib staying super healthy and productive) and especially because of what might happen should Talib fall off and we're left with only Roby+Kayvon+Bolden and then are forced into paying some other CB probably less talented than Harris equal or greater amounts.

Posted by Anthony Gomez on 2014-09-03 16:01:43

It remains to be seen what the salary cap will be next season, but looking at the average-per-year salaries for players, here's what I would expect the six free agents who the Broncos might consider re-signing to get:

Demaryius Thomas: $15 million per year (could be $16 million, which is current AYP for Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald)Julius Thomas: $8 million per year (no way will he take less given that Kyle Rudolph just got $7.3 million AYP)Chris Harris: $9 million per yearTerrance Knighton: $7 million per year (that's slightly less than the AYP for Kyle Williams)Rahim Moore: $5 million per year (I just can't see him getting a larger amount than that unless he plays at a very high level)Orlando Franklin: $5 million per year

Harris and Franklin are the players the Broncos will most likely allow to depart, assuming they don't cut somebody else. With Harris, it goes back to Talib, and with Franklin, it goes back to how much money the Broncos have going to Ryan Clady and Louis Vasquez.

At defensive tackle, the Broncos don't have that much money tied up there, so they could be willing to reward Knighton, but structure the contract like Talib's, in that they can get out of the deal after one season if they have to.

Moore could go either way. The Broncos aren't paying that much AYP to T.J. Ward ($5.6 million), but they might believe they can sign a veteran for less than $5 million and get a safety in the 2015 draft.

As always, remember that the Broncos will ensure the bulk of money given to the players in the first year of the contract comes in the signing bonus, so AYP isn't necessarily the best indicator of final contract details.

Posted by Bob Morris on 2014-09-03 15:43:57

Thanks for the writeup, Ted.

We all know how much Derek Wolfe contributes to this defense and the importance of his role, even if it gets overlooked by others. That's why I've pegged Wolfe as the "breakout player" on this defense, in the sense that he will go from the player who either pundits never talk about, or talk about in the sense that he's a waste of a draft pick, to the player who everybody sings his praises.

Wolfe should be healthy and the presence of players such as Miller and Ware is going to free up Wolfe to create more pressure on opposing QBs. Couple that with what he can do against the run, and that should lead to people taking a closer look at what he contributes, thus they start playing him as one of the Broncos' better defensive players.

Posted by Bob Morris on 2014-09-03 15:21:22

I guess I assumed that they would be more likely to part ways with Franklin/Knighton due to depth on both lines and not spend too much on Moore since he's had shakiness/injury concerns. The Broncos should have at least $25 million to play with next year barring any surprise cuts, and I suppose it will be hard to get both Thomases and Harris under that figure.

Posted by Anthony Gomez on 2014-09-03 15:20:37

I imagine Ted's belief is that the Broncos would not pay two cornerbacks a similar amount of money, meaning if Talib sticks around, they will let Harris walk as a free agent and spend money elsewhere.

To put this into perspective, Talib will paid an average salary of $9.5 million per year. The Broncos did protect themselves with the contract, as if Talib doesn't play well this season, they can cut him by a certain date in 2015, owe him no more money and not take a significant cap hit.

With that said, Harris is likely to command an average salary per year similar to Talib. At the very least, I would expect him to get a salary similar to Jason McCourty, who averages $8.6 million per year. Assuming Talib sticks around and Harris gets that salary, that would be an average of more than $18 million per year tied up at the cornerback position.

Given that the Broncos have players at other positions who will be up for new contracts (the Thomases, Moore, Knighton, Orlando Franklin), it's not likely the Broncos will prioritize re-signing Harris, unless they decide to part ways with Talib.

Posted by Bob Morris on 2014-09-03 15:16:07

Will Harris be gone due to the cap?

Posted by Anthony Gomez on 2014-09-03 15:04:43

As a fan I'm definitely excited to see what damage the defensive line can do. If Ware and Miller are completely healthy they are going to wreak some havoc or at the very least give guys like Jackson, Smith and Williams some great match ups.

Posted by Hank Mardukis on 2014-09-03 14:56:39

I'm pretty pumped to see this defense play. Of the newcomers Ward has me the most excited. Outside of a few years of Lynch and Dawkins at the end of their careers Denver has been missing that nasty strong safety since the glory days.